< PreviousMELISSAREKOFF BROKERASSOCIATE melissa@onyxrealtygrouptx.com mygalvestondreamhome.com 409-996-9838 ForEducators BuyingorSellingahomeisnoteasy,butIpromisetoeducateyouonthe process&setexpectationstomakethingssmootherandlessstressful. Getanexpertyoucancounton! 2528LexingtonCt LeagueCity BrittanyLakes 4Bedroom2Bath 4417AvenueR Galveston 1106TreatyDr. SurfsideBeachCompassionate Guidance in Your Time of Need. E. R. Johnson Family Mortuary has been serving the Galveston, Galveston County area with compassion and respect for over 71 years. Our deep roots in the community are a source of pride, as we grow side by side with the families we serve. During this time you need someone who understand the needs of families in celebrating the life of their loved ones and making sure that we take all precautions in maintaining a safe environment to assure the health and well-being of everyone that wants to celebrate the life of their loved one with dignity. E.R. Johnson Family Mortuary has always been in the forefront making sure the families we serve receive our utmost attention, care and service. We hope you will consider us your source for compassionate care and exemplary service. Our pledge is to help you honor your loved one in the most meaningful way, offering thoughtful guidance and personal attention to every detail. 3828 Ave O | Galveston, TX 77550 409.762.8470 E. R. Johnson Family Mortuary32 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 TASTE OF TEXAS SWEET HEAT Spice up burgers, dogs, dips and more with Cowboy Candy story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS W ant to kick up the heat on your burgers, hot dogs, cocktails and dips? Try Cowboy Candy, a jalapeño slice in a sugary syrup. Cowboy Candy is a great addition to spreads made from cream cheese or goat cheese. The syrup can be added to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, like margaritas, bloody Marys or home- made lemonade. It’s also a spicy substitute for relish on a hot dog, the perfect complement to pulled pork and an interesting addition to pizza, tacos and cornbread. It’s bite of sweet and heat. You’ll want to keep a jar in the refrigerator for all occasions. COWBOY CANDY 1 pound jalapeños 1 cup apple cider 1½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pickling spices (optional) 1 teaspoon salt Remove stems and cut jalapeños into ¼ inch-thick coins. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spices (if using), in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium to medium- high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add jalapeños and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium- low and simmer until peppers look slightly shrunken and glossy, about 5 minutes. Transfer jalapeños to a pint-sized mason jar. Bring liquid back to a boil and cook until syrupy and has reduced to 1½ cups. Pour syrup over jalapeños, pressing peppers down so they remain submerged. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.34 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 GAME ON BANG FOR YOUR BUCK Celebrate Fourth of July with these venison-enhanced nachos story, photo and recipe by CAPT. NATE SKINNER A plate of cheesy nachos makes a great snack or appetizer for a Fourth of July gathering, as well as a simple meal for the family on an evening when you just feel like throwing something together in a hurry. This dish incorporates venison ground meat. I used ground meat from a white-tailed deer, but ground meat from an axis deer also would be a great choice. The best part is, from the time you start to prep, you’re just a few quick steps away from enjoying a delicious pile of nachos. BARBECUE VENISON NACHOS 1 pound venison ground meat 14 ounces restaurant-style tortilla chips 16 ounces refried beans 16 ounces Mexican-style shredded cheese blend Sour cream Barbecue sauce Taco seasoning Season venison ground meat with taco seasoning, and brown it in a skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange tortilla chips in a large pan or baking sheet. Top with dollops of refried beans and cooked ground meat. Add a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese and drizzle of your favorite barbecue sauce. Bake the nachos in an oven at about 300-350 F for about 8-10 minutes, or until all of the cheese melts. (Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.) Serve nachos with sour cream and a cold beverage, and dig in. Note: For an added smoky flavor, try heating nachos in a hot smoker or barbecue pit with mesquite coals. Sand • Sunsets • Fishing • Bird Watchers • Kayaking LOWEST PRICED NEW HOMES ON THE COAST FROM $239,99936 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 DESSERT ISLAND AT YOUR LEISURE This pie is perfect for easy, stress-free beach house gatherings story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS N o one wants to stress while hanging out at a beach house. Easy meals are essential to avoiding that. The most stress-free part of a meal should be dessert — something that can be made easily with staples from the pantry, or at least available from the local convenience store and requires minimal cook time. Meet the laziest dessert around — North Carolina Chef Bill Smith’s Beach Pie. It’s kin to Florida’s famed Key Lime Pie, but simpler to make. Beach pie calls for a saltine cracker crust, citrus filling and whipped cream topping. It’s a tasty dessert to pair with your fresh caught seafood dinner or some great local barbecue. It’s also easy to make ahead and leave to chill in the fridge while you’re out enjoying the beach. BEACH PIE For the crust: 1½ sleeves saltine crackers ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons sugar For the filling: 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 4 egg yolks ½ cup lemon or lime juice or combination of the two Toppings: Fresh unsweetened whipping cream Flaked salt Preheat oven to 350 F. Crush crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a processor or your hands. Add the sugar and knead in the softened butter. Press into an 8-inch pie pan, chill for about 15 minutes, then bake until crust is golden, about 18 minutes. While crust is cooking, beat the egg yolks into the sweetened condensed milk, then beat in the citrus juice. It’s important to completely combine the ingredients. Pour mixture into the shell and bake for 16 minutes or until the filling has set. Top with the unsweetened whipping cream that has been whipped to soft peaks. Sprinkle with flaked salt just before serving. If you’re a more adventurous baker, feel free to use the egg whites to make a meringue topping. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.© 2022 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. 2001 KIRBY, SUITE 600, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77019. 281.652.5588 EST. 1911 Caroline Spagnola 409-771-2859 Caroline.Spagnola@elliman.com See all my listings, scan here: 4023 Bayshore Drive • Bacliff $1,950,000 NEW PRICE 9520 Seawall Blvd #256 Galveston $349,000 No issues with balcony! All flooring replaced! Assessment already paid in full! Welcome to one of the most ideal and secluded units Maravilla has to offer. This condo has no neighbor towards the West and one of the most expansive views of the gulf as well as the east side pool. This unit has continued to be profitable in the rental pool and has the privacy and view to supersede other active units used as vacation rentals. 3610 Bernardo De Galvez • Galveston $565,000 NEW PRICE Historical Georgian Style home one one of Galveston’s most notable streets! This centrally located home features 4 well proportioned bedrooms as well as a garage apartment for additional income. 2422 Avenue M • Galveston Silkstocking District $570,000 NEW PRICE 2217 Grover • Galveston Welcome home to 2217 Grover Avenue! This stunning home is a split plan and offers 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, sits on a quiet street and is just a few blocks away from the beach! You’ll love all the incredible features this home has to offer, including two living areas, wood cabinets, granite countertops and kitchen island, fully fenced yard, covered patio, balcony, and so much more! Hollywood Heights is minutes from I-45 - in an excellent location! Schedule your private showing today! SOLD38 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 39 DOWN HOME A KNOCKOUT Galveston boxer Jack Johnson was the inspiration for this dessert story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS B oxing great Jack Johnson, nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was the inspiration for a decadent dessert that promises to be a knock- out hit on any menu. The scrumptious flavor combination began life as a cookie that Bailey Jones baked for guests who stayed at Jack Johnson Park House, a short-term- rental he ran with his husband, Caleb, in Galveston. Jones wanted to bake a cookie made from ingredients that existed when Johnson was alive — he was born in 1878 and died in 1946. Jones’ creation has a molasses base — selected for Impe- rial Sugar founder Isaac Herbert Kempner — the Kempners are among Galveston’s founding families — pecans because they’re an iconic Texas snack, and chunks of chocolate from a Hershey’s candy bar, a new invention in Johnson’s lifetime. It’s finished with a sprinkle of sea salt. “The cookie really is the best cookie in the world,” Jones said. “Our Jack Johnson Park House guests just loved them. One guest, who was an English professor, left us a five-page letter describing the argument he had with his wife over who got to eat the last cookie.” Ingredients of the historically inspired dessert combine for a smoky, sweet, nutty and salty flavor. Jones knew he want- ed to use the recipe again and the opportunity came when he was asked to make a special cheesecake for a friend’s wedding. The cheesecake has become a much-requested favorite with family and friends. Jones, known as “the dessert guy,” has been making cheesecakes since he was a child. He also is known for his creative spins on baklava. Once, he made it with pecans and maple syrup while another time, he made it in spiral rolls. His obsession for sweets inspired him to make his own vanilla extract with Madagascar vanilla pods steeped in rum, and eggnog in flasks that take four months to age. “Every Christmas since the early 2000s, I make dessert baskets for my neighbors,” he said. “It’s a big project that includes three to six cheesecakes, baklava, sweet rum balls and then other treats that are different each year. It might be cupcakes or truffles, candied orange peel or pies. After all these years, I’ve learned to first find the box to make sure everything fits.” Baking requires creativity and precision, two attributes that occur in all aspects of Jones’ life. He has worked for NASA since 2004 as chief engineer for contracting company Oceaneering, most recently designing avionics for the astro- nauts’ spacesuits and helmets. In addition to his extensive career in electrical engineering, he had his own leadlight business creating intricate designs for clients. Caleb is equally driven and creative, running his own business and finding success as a fashion model and musi- cian. The décor at Jack Johnson Park House highlights their interests and creative talents and includes leadlight windows and transom inserts, CD cover art and modeling photos. It also has paintings of Galveston life, historic photos, docu- ments and Mardi Gras beads. The couple no longer operates Jack Johnson Park House as a short-term-rental, instead they enjoy it for themselves as a weekend cottage. But its sweet legacy lives on in the delicious cheesecake that bears its name. (Opposite) Galveston resident Bailey Jones’ decadent Jack Johnson Park House Cheesecake started out as a cookie he would bake for guests staying at the short-term rental across from the island park named for boxer Jack Johnson. See recipe on Page 40.Next >